Ninth Parish Priest who ensured the building of the Modern Church.
Desmond was born in Drogeda in the Irish Republic in 1917. He loved football and was a brilliant goalkeeper at Oscott where he trained for the priesthood. A very reverent priest, he had a great devotion to the Blessed Sacrament.
He carried out two successful building programmes at two former parishes before coming to Longton, at the age of 47, to face yet another.
 
“He was a very generous man” Bishop Cleary
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During his Ministry he:

1968-1970


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1971-1977

1978

1979-1989

1982

Consoled and coaxed his parishioners to accept change when mining subsidence ruined the Pugin Church and Presbytery. The Pugin Church and presbytery were demolished and the new church erected.  During this time parish affairs were conducted from a crampted terrace house shared with both a curate and housekeeper.
Saw the closing of St Gregory’s   secondary school and the opening of the new Bishop Bright Comprehensive school  in Longton Hall Road. 

The Infant and Junior Schools were extended.

After all debts were cleared  the new church was concecrated.

Served 2400 souls without a curate.

​Walked in procession behind Pope John Paul 11 who visited Coventry

After an arson attack he was forced to demolish the oldest Catholic Church in Stoke on Trent,in Gregory Street.
When illness struck in the 1980s he stayed to the end with the people he had servedfor 27 years. He died in Londonderry in 1991 aged 73 and is buried in the family grave.

Assistant Priests

1961-1968

1964-1965




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1968-1972

1972-1976

1974-1976

1989-1991

Michael Doona

Terence Brain - Born in Coventry in 1938 he was taught by Canon Grady at Cotton College and following his ordination at the age of 25 years he was appointed to St Gregory’s.  He left to teach at Oscott College and later as Monsignor.
1982-1988 - parish priest of St Maria Goretti, Bentilee & Chair of governors at St Thomas More High School.
1991 - Auxiliary Bishop of  Birmingham
1997 - Bishop of Salford.

Terence Luxon - A native of Canning Town, London, Terence was born in 1941 and ordained in 1967.
​Due to the tremendous support that he gave to Fr Donnelly during the rebuilding of the Church the two developed a ‘father and son’ relationship. Longton parishioners had a great affection for him. In 1986 because of ill health Terence was sent to a small parish in Warwickshire and died in 1998 aged 57.

Seamus Farrell       

Thomas Cohburn went to be parish priest of St Giles church, Cheadle.

Edward Larkin.